Cavalier continue to prove that timing is everything. With the playoffs looming, the reigning champions are finding their rhythm when it matters most, as they extended their unbeaten run to seven matches with a 2-0 win over Chapelton Maroons in a tepid but calculated Jamaica Premier League (JPL) fixture at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Monday.

It was not a fireworks show—far from it—but the result was all that mattered.

In a game where possession trumped panache for long periods, it took a slice of misfortune for Cavalier to break the deadlock. In the 66th minute, Gawain Austin inadvertently redirected Chad James’ curling cross into his own net, tilting the contest in Cavalier’s favour. James would later turn provider again in the 89th minute, threading a clever low ball across the box for Dwayne Atkinson, who swept it in with his left foot to seal the three points.

That final touch of quality wrapped up what was otherwise a lukewarm contest, but for Cavalier, it was business as usual and, more importantly, mission accomplished. Cavalier leapfrog into fourth place on 63 points, same as Portmore United, but with a slight advantage in goal difference, with two games remaining in the regular season.

Cavalier's head coach Rudolph Speid admitted that the match lacked intensity by design, as players were instructed to conserve energy with another critical fixture just days away.

"We didn’t want to exert ourselves much. So in the first half we kind of kept possession as much as we could. But then we needed a point to secure our top six. So we worked for it in the second half," Speid said.

"What is heartening is that we are hitting some form. We’ve been unbeaten in the last five or six, and that’s good for us. I never thought we would not get the win, I knew the fight would come from Chapelton, but we didn’t want to burn too much energy. We played within ourselves but stepped it up when we had to," he added.

While Cavalier continue their steady climb, Chapelton Maroons find themselves on increasingly shaky ground. Still hovering just above the relegation zone, the Claredon outfit now sit precariously tied on 33 points with 13th-place Humble Lion and 11th-placed Harbour View. Dunbeholden (34 points) and Molynes United (35 points) are also not out of danger either, making the final two rounds a relegation dogfight.

Head coach Vassell Reynolds did not mince words after the loss which resulted from another poor effort shown by his side.

"Very disappointing. Albeit we would have achieved the objective for the first half; we didn’t play all that well, but it was 0-0 at half-time. We came on very flat in the second half, and once we conceded that own goal, it was downhill from there. It wasn’t just the result, but the effort, especially in the last 25 minutes. We have to get this type of performance out. If we do that in the next game, we are in trouble," Reynolds said.